Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday unveiled a new mantra—“Think Big, Think Like UP”—while inaugurating the Taj Palace hotel in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar, describing Uttar Pradesh as the “hot land of India”.
He asserted that no other state or country could now match the scale of opportunities emerging in UP. The chief minister said the opening of Taj Palace was another milestone in Lucknow’s transformation and underlined the need to combine development with the state’s rich heritage.
“The soul of India resides in Uttar Pradesh,” he said, citing Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura-Vrindavan, Prayagraj, Buddhist sites and major rivers, including the Ganga, Yamuna and Saryu as the state’s cultural and spiritual assets.
He said UP had transformed from being among the bottom three states in tourism to becoming one of the country’s top destinations. In 2025, around 156 crore tourists visited the state, he claimed. He also highlighted the state’s 17 domestic and five international airports, extensive expressway network and expanding metro connectivity.
Yogi said Taj Palace, with 181 rooms and suites and a 10,000-square-foot pillarless banquet hall, would strengthen Lucknow’s hospitality ecosystem and generate direct employment for around 600 people, besides creating indirect jobs.
{{/usCountry}}Yogi said Taj Palace, with 181 rooms and suites and a 10,000-square-foot pillarless banquet hall, would strengthen Lucknow’s hospitality ecosystem and generate direct employment for around 600 people, besides creating indirect jobs.
{{/usCountry}}He also said a Japanese delegation attending the UP-Japan Investment Meet would be the hotel’s first guests. The delegation, he said, had shown interest in sectors including green hydrogen, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, robotics and automobiles.
Puneet Chhatwal, Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) MD, welcomed the guests. Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, jal shakti minister Swatantra Dev Singh, cooperation minister JPS Rathore, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Seth, former Maharashtra minister Kripashankar Singh and Taj Palace Lucknow MD Anil Singh were present.
Yogi also urged the hotel group to promote local Awadhi and eastern UP cuisine, including bati-chokha, sattu and millets, and said the state aims to become a $1-trillion economy by 2029-30.